


Protect

by vvavavoom



Series: ATLA Stories [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dadko, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25222705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vvavavoom/pseuds/vvavavoom
Summary: "But I can't handle it. You're the Fire Lord, you need to be more careful with your own life." Izumi was getting frustrated at her father's lack of caution for himself.
Relationships: Izumi & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861210
Comments: 15
Kudos: 232





	Protect

**Author's Note:**

> This is for prompt 11. “Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding” that @headcanonsandcupcakes requested on tumblr.

Zuko felt the danger before he saw it. He had just finished a meeting in Republic City and was chatting side by side with his daughter when he sensed something off. By the time he found what he was looking for it was too late, the arrow had been released.

It was aimed towards him. He knew that. And normally in a situation like this he would easily dodge the arrow or use his bending to burn it, it wasn’t the first time someone tried to shoot him. But the Fire Lord wasn’t thinking very clearly right now.

All he could think about was his daughter standing next to him.

Izumi yelped as her father tackled her to the ground covering her with his body. “Dad? What-“

“Stay down!” He instructed, holding her head close to the ground.

The next few minutes went by in a blur as the police force and his royal guard apprehended the attempted assassin. Toph herself forced him into handcuffs and was yelling something about trying to kill her friends.

Zuko didn’t realize that he was still covering Izumi’s body until he heard her say “Dad, I think everything’s fine now, we can get up.”

He quickly stood and helped her up. “Are you ok?” he asked, watching her brush off her clothes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She looked shocked and a bit pale but unscathed.

Zuko thanked Toph and the force for their help and the father and daughter were quickly ushered back to their lodgings. Izumi seemed to be in daze the entire ride over, staring out the window without speaking.

It wasn’t until they were alone in their heavily guarded suite when he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine I’m just a little stunned is all but- Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding!” She pointed at his arm which had a pretty large gash in it from where the arrow grazed him. Blood had already seeped through all the expensive fabric.

“Huh.” He looked down at his wound as if it was a moth fly that had landed on his arm. “It’s ok, it’s just a scratch.”

“Dad!” The young princess yelled. “It’s not ok! You’re bleeding!” She quickly called for a healer to come up to their room.

“Izumi, please, I’ve dealt with much worse.” He tried to calm his fretting daughter as she looked for a first aid kit.

He was about to protest that he could take care of it himself when his daughter glared at him that had him sitting down in the closest chair. She began to clean the wound as they waited for the healer, her face set in a frown and eyebrows pulled together as she worked.

“Hey. It’s fine, really” He put his hand over hers.

“Dad…” She didn’t look up from what she was doing, “Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“Shield me. The arrow was aiming for you. You could have protected yourself.” Izumi looked up at her father.

“Of course I’m going to protect you. What kind of question is that?”

“I wasn’t in danger! You were the one getting shot at! Look at this.” She motioned to his gash.

“That doesn’t matter.”

Izumi scoffed. “Yes, it matters! It matters to me! What if you had actually gotten shot? What would we do then?”

“Izumi, I’m used to this, it used to happen all the time.” He didn’t bring up the handful of times it happened to his own daughter. An assassination attempt on him was one thing, but on her… he couldn’t even think about it. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“But I can’t handle it. You’re the Fire Lord, you need to be more careful with your own life.” Izumi was getting frustrated at her father’s lack of caution for himself.

“My life isn’t nearly as important as yours.” His face had softened, looking at her.

“How can you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

Izumi stood up and paced in front of him, locking her hands together, “Father,” She only used that word when she wanted him to take her seriously. “I am the Princess of the Fire Nation and a fire bender, I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need you to protect me from everything.”

Zuko couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, quickly apologizing when Izumi glared at him. “I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, Turtleduck. You’re a very strong and capable bender.” He smiled at her, “But that doesn’t matter. Nothing will ever stop me from protecting you.”

“But-“

“No Izumi. You don’t understand.” He stood up to lay his hands on her shoulders. “Nothing matters more to me than you. And not because you’re the Fire Princess or heir to the throne, but because you’re my daughter. It’s my job to protect you.”

Izumi smiled tenderly, her steely resolve thawing from her father’s words “I know Dad. I just- I wish you would be more careful. I need you too, you know.” She knew that arguing with her father further would be pointless. He would always see her as his little girl.

“I know and I’m sorry I worried you.” He hugged her tight, “But everything’s ok now.”

“Yeah.” She melted into the embrace where she felt safest.


End file.
